Billy Joel has cancelled his upcoming tour, including a date in Toronto, after the legendary singer was diagnosed with a brain disorder.
Joel, 76, announced on Friday that he has “normal pressure hydrocephalus” (NPH), a brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain鈥檚 ventricles.
An Instagram post shared on Joel’s official account reads: “This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision, and balance. Under his doctors instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.”
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
The post included a short statement from the Piano Man himself: “I’m sincerely sorry to disappoint our audience, and thank you for understanding.”
View this post on Instagram
Joel was originally set to perform at Rogers Centre in 海角社区官网in March, but cancelled the show days before the tour date. Citing an undisclosed medical condition, Joel’s team announced that the show would be rescheduled for 2026. A statement added that Joel was expected to make a full recovery.
That rescheduled tour stop, along with 17 more shows set to take place in the U.S. and U.K., have now been cancelled.
The last time Joel performed in 海角社区官网was on March 9, 2014 at Scotiabank Arena. Joel also performed at the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls last winter.
In February, Joel fell on stage while performing in Connecticut. He appeared to quickly recover and was able to finish the show. It is unclear if his surgery was related to this incident.
Known for piano playing and his signature blend of pop and rock music, Joel ranks among the bestselling artists of all time.
His first album, 鈥淐old Spring Harbor,鈥 came out in 1971. Since then, he鈥檚 released a dozen more studio albums, seven live albums and 18 compilations album, and has sold more than 150 million records worldwide.
Today, Joel is best known for megahits such a 鈥淧iano Man,鈥 鈥淲e Didn鈥檛 Start The Fire,鈥 鈥淯ptown Girl,鈥 and 鈥淣ew York state of Mind.鈥
In July, Joel performed for the 150th time at Madison Square Garden in New York City, marking the most lifetime concerts at the storied venue by any artist.
RA
Richie Assaly is a culture reporter for the Star, with an
interest in music, pop culture and food reporting. He is also a
juror for Polaris Music Prize.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation